Multicultural - Children Literature Evaluation Form

Children’s Literature Evaluation Form
Your Name: Ashley Smith

Book Title: Same, Same But Different
Author: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Illustrator: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Publisher/Year: Henry Holt and Co. – 9/13/2011
Evaluate the Book for the following elements
Style and Language: Using examples for the book, explain the following: Word
choices, dialogue, rhythm, rhyme and sentence length. Share unexpected insights or
interesting information the reader learns from this story. (5 points)
The author reuses the line “Same, Same but Different” throughout the story to help
readers understand that we are all human and do have similarities, but we are also
different. The author uses words that are easy to understand and sound just like how
the two young boys would be writing to each other. There isn’t a rhyme scheme to
the book, but there is a rhythm with the “Same, Same but different” lines. The author
also adds a “P.S.” portion to some parts to let the characters ask questions.
Character: With examples from the book, provide the following- (5 points)
Who is the main character?
How can the reader relate to the character?
Who are the supporting characters?
The main characters are Elliot and Kailash.

The readers can relate to the characters because while reading they can think of how
they’re similar and different from Elliot and Kailash. They can relate to where Elliot
lives, or how he has pets.
Plot: Summarize the major events of the story (6 points)
The major event of the story is that a boy named Elliot sends letters back and forth to
his friend Kailash. We learn about how and where each of them lives. Then we learn
that they are very similar even though they are different.
Setting: Explain the place and time of this book. (2 points)
Theme: What is the main message of this book? (2 points)
The book is set in present day and we are shown both Elliot’s life, which includes his
house, bedroom, classroom, etc. and Kailash’s life, which includes the same places.
The main message of this book is to show that different people can live different
lives, but they can still have similarities. On one of the last pages of the book, we see
Elliot and Kailash in their beds surrounded by each other’s artwork, because they
both consider the other their best friend. Another noteworthy message is that we can
be friends with people even when they are different.
Illustration: Analyze the book you selected with the following categories
Style (realism, surrealism, expressionism, impressionism, naïve, cartoon art)? (2
points)
The illustrations are naïve because it’s very colorful and childlike.
Media Choice (paints, oils watercolors, pencils, pen, charcoal, crayons, acrylic, chalk):
(2 points)
This book is painterly media. It appears to be a combination of paints and pencils.

Give examples of describe how the following visual elements are used in the
illustrations: (3)
Line: The illustrator uses curvy lines to show that there is a river going through
Kailash’s village.
Shapes: The illustrator makes the trees and animals big and curvy to show that they
are found in nature. She also uses tall rectangles to show the big buildings in Elliot’s
city.
Color: The illustrator uses many colors to make the illustrations attractive and fun to
look at.
Texture: The illustrator adds little lines to the lion’s fur to make it look fluffy.
Page design (placement of the illustrations, use of borders, white and dark space and
all pages the same or different). (3)
The page design is very strategic. The illustrator uses the words of the story to help
create the pictures, like when we are seeing Kailash’s river in his village, the text from
that page is moving in a curvy direction just like the water would be. The illustrator
also makes it obvious by changing the background colors when we are going from
Elliot’s world to Kailash’s.
Child Development Theory: Choose either Piaget, Erickson or Social Emotional to

describe the connection to the book Chose 1 only (5 points)
Emotional Development:
Identify the age: 3-6 years
Explain the social development for this age and how the book relates
to the emotional level you chose:
The emotional development for this age includes increased language, behavior, and
cognitive strategies that help create emotional self-regulation. Increased language
creates a more automatic response to empathy. Same, Same but Different relates to
this stage by showing two perspectives. The readers will see Elliot’s life and usually
relate to his, but some students will see Kailash’s life and relate to his. If they don’t
relate to one of the characters than they can learn to empathize what that character’s
life might be like. In this story we only see happy characters but as a class we could
talk about how different and maybe difficult it would be to live with all of our family,
including all of our cousins, grandparents, etc. It will help the children put themselves
in other’s shoes.
1 would not recommend 2 average 3 highly recommended
Your rating of the book: 3
Why?
I believe that this book would be very fun to read to a group of students. There are
many opportunities for questions, discussions, and extension activities. This book also
helps provide an insight as to what other children’s lives may look like compared to
ours. This book makes the important message of Diversity seem lighthearted and easy
to understand.

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Children’s Literature Evaluation Form

Your Name: Ashley Smith

The main characters are Elliot and Kailash.

This book is painterly media. It appears to be a combination of paints and pencils.

Child Development Theory: Choose either Piaget, Erickson or Social Emotional to

1 would not recommend 2 average 3 highly recommended

Your rating of the book: 3

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